Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” drenched in soup in London. Charges for activists

Two Just Stop Oil activists at London’s National Gallery on Friday threw the contents of cans of tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”and then stuck to the wall of the museum. As the gallery informed, the painting “was covered with glass and therefore it was not damaged”. In the later published accusation, the museum authorities added that the picture frame had been slightly damaged, but that the work itself remained intact. “Sunflowers” attacked by activists are valued at over 84 million dollars.

The police detained both women. They were identified as 20-year-old Anna Holland from Newcastle and 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer from London. On Saturday, the police said the activists had been taken to court, where they were charged with destroying property.

A third Just Stop Oil activist, 38-year-old Lora Johnson of Suffolk, also appeared with them. She was charged with damaging the famous “New Scotland Yard” sign in front of the Metropolitan Police headquarters.

The attack on the van Gogh painting was part of a series of demonstrations organized by the environmental group Just Stop Oil, which lasted more than two weeks. Police said a total of 28 people were arrested during several protests in central London. The remaining 25 people have been released from custody on bail, and the investigation into their case is ongoing, the police added.

“This gallery depicts human creativity and genius, but our heritage is being destroyed by our government’s failure to deal with the climate crisis and rising cost of living,” wrote Just Stop Oil’s Twitter account, accompanied by a video of Friday’s act of vandalism at the National Gallery . In another post, the organization explained that “the next proposed oil and gas licenses will destroy our entire culture.”

These are not the first events of this type involving activists from this group. In early July, Just Stop Oil members glued their hands to the frame of another painting exhibited in the London museum – John Constable’s Hay Wagon.

Last week, members of another group of climate activists, the international Extinction Rebellion movement, protested in the same way next to a painting by Pablo Picasso in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. As they had not tried to damage the painting, they were released from custody without charge.

SEE ALSO: Climate activists stuck to the floor of the House of Commons meeting room